Error importing Red Epic files in Avid Media Composer 6

[Brian Merlen]

I decided to step it down a notch and try some DSLR 1080HD video to see if that worked (though for the record I can playback r3ds in CS5 on my lame duck core2duo just fine at 1/16th and was hoping to do the same in Avid).

The link to AMA worked but I got the same Audio underrun error upon playback in both the left and right player windows....

Maybe AMA is the bug, or maybe its my usb2 external source drive? So I am trying to import it the old fashion way right now to see if that works. If it doesn't I am going to try using a raid 0 firewire 8 drive as my source drive to see if that fixes the issue. If all else fails I will wait for Avid to patch the bug, but until I try these last few tests I refuse to admit if its the bug everyone else is getting, or its my hardware. I think it could be either, so I am going to test for either...

[MichaelP]

USB2 is most likely the culprit as they are not very fast as it is for sustained playback, and if the media is scattered with lots of cuts, it may not be able to keep up with that either. Sound files are much smaller and can have more of them scattered all around. Download the Blackmagic Disk Speed application (free) or similar type application to get true speed of the drive and what it can support in the best of conditions.

Michael

[Brian Merlen]

I didn't even make cuts, I used AMA to link it, dropped one clip in the timeline and attempted to play back. I set it to yellow yellow and i still get that same error...

So I tried importing it instead of using the AVCHD AMA route, it takes a long time to convert it to DNXHD 45 and at the end it gives me an error message. I did the import with 9 files and am halfway through but when each clip ends importing I get an error and it moves to the next or asks me to abort. Next time there is an error I will tell you guys what it says, will update shortly... when its done and I can copy paste off my console...

USB2 could very well be my problem or maybe my 5400rpm internal hdd? I have a broken firewire 8 raid 0 that I am in the process of getting replaced, when possible I will try to use that. If that doesn't fix it I am considering upgrading my internal drive to SSD or getting a new system if needed.

Im just trying to dabble with Avid and CS5, I just gave up on FCP recently. I have gotten my head around Ppro cs5, and wanted to learn Avid but these workflow problems are cramping my style. I will keep trying to diagnose the problem myself while I await software patches... Lots of people been having issues with this, its a .0 release and we deserve every bit of trouble we get until some patches are out. I just want to make sure its not my hardware exacerbating the buggyness and I have nothing to do I might as well try and play around with the software and see if I can get it to bare bones function!

Tomorrow I am even considering trying to run some SD mini dv footage through it to see if I still have problems with playback! Its gonna take a while to get my fast 7200 raid back from hitachi so I got time on my hands to try and play around with the settings and see if I can make anything work at all in Avid MC6...

[Brian Merlen]

Here is what my console gave me as an error when I tried to import instead of using AMA... at least the AMA got the files in my bin! This didn't result in anything being in my bin and took 1000 times longer to process! I think its just buggy, or that I need to get my raid back and invest in an SSD or a 12 core... or both....

p, li { white-space: pre-wrap; } ---- Channel: input buffer ------
Channel V_Dec_vc3454_ss32: ExecuteStream failed on Codec
CChannel: error: CMError_Codec, function ExecuteStream, line 398, internal codec error string: H264IBPCODEC ERROR NO FREE IMAGE
Exception caught in APlayer::Play - Exception: FATAL_ERROR, msg:Assertion failed: CMError_No_Error == cmErr, file:/Snapshots/relengsnow5_1319677901/coresw/ame/Projects/Mac/../../src/Consumers/Imports/AvchdVideoImpConsumer.cpp, line:1031
Exception:
@ Thu Dec 1 20:20:03 2011
• Exception: FATAL_ERROR, msg:Assertion failed: CMError_No_Error == cmErr, file:/Snapshots/relengsnow5_1319677901/coresw/ame/Projects/Mac/../../src/Consumers/Imports/AvchdVideoImpConsumer.cpp, line:1031
Exception:
@ Thu Dec 1 21:12:39 2011
• Exception: DISK_DIR_NOT_FOUND, filename:00002.MTS
Exception:
@ Thu Dec 1 21:43:52 2011
• Exception: DISK_DIR_NOT_FOUND, filename:00003.MTS
Exception:
@ Thu Dec 1 22:15:52 2011
• Exception: DISK_DIR_NOT_FOUND, filename:00004.MTS
Exception caught in APlayer::Play - Exception: NEMFileWriter::ExecuteInternal TIMEOUT - NEMFileWriter has detected upstream pipe stall...
Exception:
@ Fri Dec 2 01:45:39 2011
• Exception: NEMFileWriter::ExecuteInternal TIMEOUT - NEMFileWriter has detected upstream pipe stall...
Exception:
@ Fri Dec 2 02:17:44 2011
• Exception: DISK_DIR_NOT_FOUND, filename:00006.MTS

[MichaelP]

The upstream pipe stalling most likely indicates the disk is not serving up the files fast enough. If these clips are on the timeline, are you seeing spans of blue lines in the timecode bar? Also, 5400 is quite slow as well for HD. Download a disk speed test application to see what it feels the true speed of the drive is after OS system overhead.

Michael

[Brian Merlen]

When using import, nothing happens but an error at the end and the clip doesn't get in the bin...

When using AMA it gets in my bin, no blue lines, but it won't playback...plays a few frames in either the left or right window and then has that first error I was posting about.

I am going to start by replacing my external, then either replace my internal or the whole system.... probably will get an SSD internal and wait for Ivy or Haswell to get a new computer... I still have a year and 2 months of Applecare so I am not trying to get a new system unless I really need it....

[MichaelP]

Have you tried a transcode to DNXHD from the AMA link to the HDSLR files? What is the error at the end of import process? Is there enough room on the target drive of the import? What resolution are you importing to?

Michael

[Brian Merlen]

I just got it to import successfully via DNXHD45 using small short clips. Maybe my clip duration had something to do with the problem? Dont think it was a storage issue, I got plenty of space...

Still having that playback issue everyone else is having, but I think that one is just a software glitch. I see lots of high end systems reporting that error on many message forums...

Thanks for the help guys but I think this issue is resolved until that software patch comes along. If the patch comes out and I still have the error I will upgrade my internal to SSD as a stop gap measure until I buy a new system in the future...

[Christoffer Glans]

USB2 is not enough for anything high end, period. Get a faster drive, use a faster connection (eSata, SAS USB3, thunderbolt) and see if the errors still remain. I doubt that editing in Premierer at 1/16th resolution with R3D-files is something you can work fluidly. Two cores is also not really optimal.

I cannot help but see that you are trying to make your system into something it's not. My backup editing machine is around your specs and I know I need to transcode to be able to edit, even though I can barely get playback at yellow/green with eSata connection.

If you are going to edit something and not just play it back, then transcode the files, there's no reason not to. Load all AMA's into a bin and transcode to DNxHD 36 or do it in Redcine, don't know how many files you have but just let the computer do it's thing and then you can edit with ease instead. I do this even on my high end system, you don't want to be set back by playback choppyness or other errors when editing, you don't.

[Brian Merlen]

I have a raid 0 firewire 8/esata 4tb drive out for replacement at the moment. I will have it back soon. The CS5 r3d stuff I did was on that drive and it worked fairly well natively with few dropped frames, it wasn't great though but it played back at least. The audio underrun errors I am having during playback in Avid are happening to lots of people with higher end systems and I am not fully convinced if its a software bug or my pathetic external HDD that I want to throw out my window. This drive I am using isn't even mine, I wouldn't own anything slower then firewire 8. Its my partners half cocked attempt at keeping me complacent while he tries to recover the data he lost when he broke my raid. Believe me I am not pleased to be using this external, but with the prices of HDD's where they are from the crisis I am not anxious to buy another drive when I will get my 4tb raid back shortly.

I am going to buy an internal SSD and use my raid when it comes in, I am sure my system will work more fluidly at that juncture, even if its only using DNxHD. The fact that so many high end systems are reporting audio underrun errors makes me think its a software bug related issue. Believe me I can't wait to get this USB2 drive out of my studio, everything I am doing is taking so long and I am furious that this data recovery is taking forever. I didn't even lose any data I needed, and I wanted to send this drive out 3 months ago but I was stuck dealing with insurance companies and this process has dragged out so long I am just really bummed out on the whole process. I just keep trying to wait on getting a new system because the new mac pros and ivy bridge is around the corner, and most of what I do is only HD work anyway. R3d stuff is more of a hobby for me at this point and a learning experience.

If I was going to buy another raid I would get a r6 thunderbolt or a usb3. At this point I feel compelled to get them, but not until the crisis is over. My raid will be back here before I multicam edit a gig on the 13th or I am going to really start getting annoyed